Life Fitness and ACE Announce Search for America's Top Personal Trainers to Watch

SCHILLER PARK, Ill. (March 16, 2011) – Life Fitness, the global leader in fitness equipment manufacturing, and the American Council on Exercise, America’s leading authority on fitness and the largest nonprofit fitness certification, education and training organization in the world, today announce a search for America’s top Personal Trainers to Watch. With more than 26 percent of American adults overweight and obese, the Life Fitness and ACE Personal Trainers to Watch program celebrates the more than 261,000 personal trainers across the country who have demonstrated a growing commitment to fitness and to helping their clients achieve a lasting lifestyle change through educating and encouraging people to make physical activity an integral part of their everyday lives.

“Through the Personal Trainers to Watch program, we want to recognize the professionals who make fitness more than just their business,” said Chris Clawson, president of Life Fitness. “At Life Fitness, fitness is what we live for and we know thousands of trainers across the country embody that same passion, showing unbridled commitment to their clients. We want to honor their dedication and to celebrate their daily fitness journey.”

To participate in the program, people are invited to visit the Life Fitness website (www.LifeFitness.com/PersonalTrainers.html) to nominate a personal trainer who is passionate about fitness and serves as a leader in his or her community to continually inspire, motivate and coach others to achieve lasting lifestyle change. One grand-prize winner will receive $5,000 toward his or her personal training business, a select piece of Life Fitness equipment, an ACE fitness certification package with study materials and exam voucher and national recognition as Life Fitness and ACE’s Personal Trainer to Watch. Ten finalists will also be honored and will receive national recognition for their fitness successes.

“In kicking off our Personal Trainers to Watch program with Life Fitness, we are proud to spotlight the most dedicated and inspiring fitness professionals for the guidance and support they provide not only to their clients, but also to their communities,” said Scott Goudeseune, American Council on Exercise president and CEO. “The initiative and positive contributions of personal trainers across the country are a testament to our industry’s goal and ACE’s distinct mission to combat the obesity epidemic in America, and to help people of all ages and fitness levels to lead healthier, more active lives.”

The Personal Trainers to Watch nominations will be accepted March 15 through Aug. 31, 2011. Winners will be announced in October at the Club Industry Show in Chicago. To nominate a personal trainer, or for official program rules, please visit www.LifeFitness.com/PersonalTrainers.html. Nominations are limited to one entry per person.

About ACE

The American Council on Exercise (ACE), America’s premier fitness education, certification and training organization, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the benefits of physical activity and protecting Americans against unsafe and ineffective fitness products and instruction. ACE sponsors university-based exercise science research and is the world’s largest nonprofit fitness certifying organization. For more information on ACE and its programs, call (800) 825-3636 or log onto the ACE website at www.acefitness.org.

About Life Fitness

Life Fitness is the global leader in providing fitness equipment. The company manufactures and sells strength and cardiovascular equipment under the brand names Life Fitness and Hammer Strength and distributes its equipment in more than 120 countries. Headquartered outside Chicago, in Schiller Park, Ill., Life Fitness is a division of Brunswick Corporation (NYSE: BC).

About ACE

Founded in 1985, the American Council on Exercise (ACE) is a nonprofit organization committed to America's health and wellbeing. Over the past 25 years, we have become an established resource for both fitness professionals and consumers, providing comprehensive, unbiased, scientific research impacting the fitness industry and validating ourselves as the country's trusted authority on fitness.

Today, ACE is the largest nonprofit fitness certification, education and training organization in the world with 55,000 certified professionals who hold more than 60,000 ACE certifications. With a long heritage in certification, education, training and public outreach, we are among the most respected fitness organizations in the industry and a resource consumers have come to trust for health and fitness education.